Thirty Dates
by recumbentgoat
Summary: Spock begins his courtship of Uhura with thirty dates, but she still has worries. Previous story: Krismasi Busu. Next Story: Ashayam. Please review- Thank you!
1. Worries

**Character/Pairing:** Spock/Uhura  
**Rating:** K+

**Summary:** Spock begins his courtship of Uhura, but she still has worries.  
**Warning:** UST.  
**A/N:** So- I will try to write about every date. Maybe about six per chapter. Some will be more in detail than others. lol Takes place after Krismasi Busu. Next story: Ashayam

* * *

Later that night, Nyota lay in her bed, still thinking of Spock's Christmas kiss. What a gift _that_ had been, an utterly delightful surprise. But now she was having a hard time falling asleep. She could still feel his kiss and body pressed against hers, and while she was still aroused by that kiss, that was _not_ what was keeping her up.

Spock was still her CO, and even if he were a Vulcan, he was still male. And she'd certainly seen her fair share of romances fail because of the power imbalance in such relationships, or worse, a career, or two, ruined. She didn't want to be a statistic despite Spock's good intentions towards her.

She sighed and closed her eyes, then opened them again, resigned to being wide awake. Frustrated, she got out of bed and made some tea, sitting at her desk. Sipping the hot, fragrant liquid hadn't quelled the nagging thoughts in her head. And spurred on by them, she impulsively called Spock, biting her lower lip with worry as she waited for him to answer his comm unit.

Before she could wibble and disconnect the call, he answered, though audio only, 'Yes, Uhura? Is there an emergency?'

She squeezed her eyes shut, 'No! No...I'm sorry, Spock, for disturbing you so late...I....' Nyota took a deep breath, when had it become so hard to talk to him? 'I just had some concerns about your....' Proposal? Proposition? 'Your...future plan,' she finished lamely.

'Ah.'

Ah? That was all he could say? He was the reason she couldn't sleep! Frustration snapped her out of her timid state. 'Yes, Mr. Spock,' she said crisply. 'Your plans to--as you said, _woo_ me.'

'Of course. Do you have any questions?' he asked.

She tried not to associate his tone with the impersonal query of a polite, though disinterested, customer service representative.

'Spock. Look, I really appreciate what you did tonight. That was probably the most romantic and unexpected thing that's ever happened to me. And I'll remember it for the rest of my life. But I have some _serious_ misgivings about what you want us to do. People's careers have been totally ruined, for less even, because some affair ended badly--' She waved her hand as she talked, nervously running her words together.

'I am not seeking a short-term affair, Nyota.'

'Well...ok.' She'd figured as much, but that wasn't what really concerned her. 'Ok then, I realize that your intentions are good and all. But you know that the road to hell-'

'Is paved with good intentions. Yes, I understand.'

Bright light from her comm unit suddenly flooded the small quarters and she sat up, conscious now of the thin cotton t-shirt she wore to bed. She folded her arms over her chest, her nipples hardening in arousal as she was reminded of the heat of his gaze on her body earlier that night.

Spock's face filled her viewscreen and his head canted to one side as he silently observed her for a moment, 'You are worried that I will ruin your career.'

She huffed out a sigh in relief, thankful that Spock wasn't going to be dense about it. 'Yeah, I am. I've worked hard to get here. Well...I know you know that already Spock, seeing as how you accepted my professor's recommendation of me....but-'

'Nyota, I apologize that this is so unusually awkward for you. However, I have already assessed all potential ramifications of this relationship on your position in Starfleet and on the Enterprise. I have taken precautions.'

'What? Really?' Her computer inbox started binging. He had sent her something.

'Please read this carefully, Nyota. I believe you will find I have addressed your concerns.' He raised an eyebrow as she stared at him.

Realizing that he was waiting for her to read his message, she opened it and found that he had, in true Spock-ian fashion, clearly rendered...some kind of contract. She quickly scanned the document, reading the parameters for dating, the time period it would cover and, most importantly, his assumption of all responsibility for pursuing a romantic relationship with her.

She frowned, 'Um. You don't want me to actually sign this do you?'

Spock's eyes crinkled at the corners, just for a moment, 'No. Unless you wish to of course.' He watched her as she continued reading. 'But perhaps you wish to, as they say, sleep on it.'

Nyota looked into his eyes, 'I don't know what to say Spock.'

'Considering that this is new information, perhaps it is best that you do not answer right away. I shall be here tomorrow after all, and for the duration of the voyage.'

She raised her eyebrows at that, Spock often surprised her with his _very_ dry sense of humor. 'I'm sorry I'm making such a fuss, Spock. This isn't really how a romance should be.'

'Nyota, do not apologize. The risk to you professionally is greater and not to be taken lightly.' He paused for a moment and then sat back in his chair, revealing a tantalizing portion of his neck and naked shoulders.

She idly wondered if he slept in the buff, 'Thanks, Spock. I do appreciate it.'

He nodded once, 'Please take as much time as you need to consider what I have sent to you. Nyota...I trust you implicitly. You are an exceptional officer and have been....a good friend. Indeed, that has been one of the criteria in my selection of you. While this trial period is meant to measure our compatibility for each other, this is more about proving to _you_ my suitability as a bondmate.'

Nyota swallowed hard and tried not to read too much into _that_ statement. He sounded like he'd already made up _his_ mind and she suddenly felt pressure to not break his Vulcan heart. She smiled wanly, 'So, thirty dates and if all fails, no harm no foul.'

'Crudely succinct, but correct.'

'Even if I break your Vulcan heart?' She smiled slowly at him.

His eyebrows rose, 'You can not break a Vulcan heart, Nyota.'

She laughed, 'Ok then. Thank you for talking me through this.' She sighed, 'Well, I guess I should try to get some sleep now.'

'Yes, please try. And Nyota-'

'Yes?'

'You may call me at any time should you wish to discuss something that is bothering you.' His dark eyes searched hers, 'As my mother would say, 'Talking it out is often the cure for a restless mind'. A human solution, but effective nonetheless.'

She smiled at that, 'Thank you, Spock. I'll keep that in mind. Good night.'

'Good night, Nyota.'

* * *

The next morning, Nyota saw him as he entered the bridge. He gave her the barest of nods and continued to his station. She sighed and continued working on a side project analyzing a new subspace frequency to be used for encryption. She had finally slept last night, but she was still groggy. The morning's coffee had still not cleared her mind of cobwebs.

It wasn't until she took her break where she could go back and read his proposal again, but this time more thoroughly. He had asked for and promised discretion during their trial period. Spock had also listed thirty activities, grouped under general categories, for them to do. She wondered how on earth he arrived at such a list and at thirty! She knew of affairs that didn't last _three_ dates let alone thirty.

Some dates were pretty standard and specific, like having a meal together, or enjoying a musical performance. Others were vague and seemed to stress a particular element that Spock wanted to evaluate, like communication or teamwork. She shook her head. Leave it to the Vulcan to suck all the spontaneity out of dating. But she figured he needed this, both for his own decision-making and to alleviate her concerns.

She tapped out a message to Spock on her padd: _Hey Spock, just finished reading your contract again and I agree. But let's not follow your date list too closely. I'd like to see what comes up naturally for us._ She hit 'send'.

Unsurprisingly, her inbox binged not three seconds later. Damn, he was fast. _As you wish. If you are available tonight, I would like to meet you on the observation deck. Would 6:30 be convenient for you?_

Nyota smiled, when Spock wanted something he sure didn't let the grass grow under his feet. _Sounds good. I'll see you then._ Now she just needed to figure out what to wear.

* * *

A/N: I was going to write out Spock's list of 30 dates, but I didn't want to commit to that. lol


	2. First Date

**Character/Pairing:** Spock/Uhura  
**Rating:** K+  
**Summary:** Nyota learns some surprising things about Spock on their first date.  
**Warning:** FLUFF!  
**A/N:** I originally sketched this out for Ship Wars on LiveJournal. Previous story: Krismasi Busu. Next story: Ashayam

* * *

They met on the observation deck at the appointed time. She was dressed casually in her black uniform pants with a cheerfully yellow short-sleeved top covered by her cable-knit cardigan, since the observation deck ran cool.

Nyota had arrived a few minutes late, breathless from half-running down the corridor. Originally, she had worn a short white dress trimmed in navy blue. It was nothing fancy, but it was different. Different enough to scream DATE! if she walked down the corridor. She'd already been applying her make-up and earrings when she realized her mistake and had to hurriedly shed her outfit. Panicking over the time, she grabbed her uniform pants and found a top that wasn't too dressy. She'd ditched her pretty, crocheted shawl too and decided that perhaps an even more casual approach would be better for their first date. Best to keep expectations low.

She looked around the observation deck for Spock. He'd picked deck E since most of the crew in that part of the ship were on-duty now and so the area was deserted. She realized now that she could've worn her dress and gotten away with it, but it was too late.

He was on the upper part of the deck, looking out the window, at what, she couldn't tell since they were at warp one. As she climbed up the stairs, he turned to her, the colored warpglow softly dappling his skin, throwing his eyes in shadows. She wondered if he felt as nervous inside as she did.

Nyota grinned at him, he'd not changed his clothes as she had, but she noticed that _he_ noticed her not in her regular uniform. Ignoring the flip in her stomach, she lowered her voice and joked in a sexy voice, 'I thought I'd slip into something more _comfortable_, Mr. Spock.'

He raised his eyebrows, 'Indeed. I am gratified you find comfort in the clothes that you wear, Nyota.'

Their eyes locked, amusement crinkling his eyes so briefly she thought she'd imagined it. He turned and raised his arm up to indicate the direction they would proceed in.

She bit her lower lip and stifled the giddy laugh that was welling up in her. This was probably going to be the most surreal dating experience since...well, _ever_. As they walked along the raised walkway, they exchanged more glances. Hers, shyly smiling, and his....typically inscrutable.

He led them to a tucked away corner of the deck that would've afforded them privacy even if the place had been busy. It was blessedly quiet now though and lent itself to a serene and dared she even think it, romantic, atmosphere. She slowly smiled when she saw that a simple meal was laid out for the two of them.

'You cook, Spock?!' She giggled, caught off guard by an image of Spock in the traditional tall white chef's hat, pointed ears sticking out, chopping vegetables with inhuman speed and precision, measuring out ingredients to the thousandth decimal place.

'No. I did not cook this meal.' He pulled out her chair, then pushed it carefully in as she sat down. He sat opposite her and raised the dark blue dome lids that kept their meals warm, placing them to the side, 'I took the liberty of replicating one of your favorite meals.'

She smiled as she dropped a white napkin on her lap, 'Thank you! It looks delicious,' She took her spoon and dipped it into the hot, richly red tomato soup. 'And it smells soo _good_! I'm so hungry too. Oh, you've got some goat cheese here...'

Surprised and wondering how he knew of her preferences, she cut a hunk off with her spoon and dropped it in her soup, letting it melt a little before scooping it back out. 'Mmmm, my god that's good. I won't even ask you how you managed to get this.' She closed her eyes for a moment, savoring the soft cheese and the bit of spice in the soup.

Head canted, he paused with his spoon mid-air, 'I was sworn to secrecy by my supplier, but I can assure you that it is of the finest quality.'

Spock made a mental note to thank Scotty for his speedy acquisition of the special item with no questions asked. The engineer had contacts at different space stations to get a whole list of hard to get things, but it was a discreetly held fact since he hadn't wanted pestering from other crew members.

Though since making his request, Spock had perceived many speculative looks coming from Scotty and wondered how long before the Scotsman made his own inquiries. The transmission of information via 'grapevine' on a starship, Spock had learned over the years, was nearly instantaneous.

They locked gazes with one another before Nyota lost her nerve and broke eye contact with him, smiling into her next sip of soup. As they ate, conversation turned inevitably to work and their next stop, a deep space research station orbiting a Jupiter-sized planet with 'interesting properties' as it was vaguely referred to in their orders.

When they finished eating, they were still on the same subject, discussing the possible reasons Starfleet had assigned them, a starship, this task instead of a closer, more specialized ship.

Since their first adventure together on the ice planet Giotta, where they fought off the tragic results of an immoral and most likely, illegal, experiment gone awry, she'd learned that there was nothing transparent about the way Starfleet made their decisions.

Their exchange now was a far cry from how that mission had ended uneasily and it was certainly a testament to how far they'd come as friends to even have such an open conversation. She'd been nervous after that ordeal. After dealing with how her ridiculous phobia had become her living nightmare, she'd _also_ had to contend with the lingering mistrust she felt towards her superiors, both Kirk and Spock. Especially Spock, who'd been very intimidating after they returned to the ship.

She fiddled with a ring on her thumb when it suddenly slipped out of her fingers and rolled off the table. Without missing a beat in the conversation, Spock deftly plucked it out of the air with a quick hand before gravity even began to pull it back down.

Giving an embarrassed laugh, she held out a hand to take it back from him.

Ignoring her hand, he held it up and examined it closely, 'This appears to be of hand worked silver.' He looked to her for confirmation.

She shrugged and smiled, 'Yeah, I made it when I was in high-school. One of the required classes I had to take. I wasn't happy about it then, but in the end, I was glad that they made me take other classes outside my field.'

He nodded once, 'Logical. Too much focus on one subject can lead to burnout in humans.' His long, tapered fingers continued its exploration of the thick ring as he examined it with one hand. Spock let the ring drop into the other hand that had been resting open on the table top. Then, he quickly passed it back, before turning both hands over to reveal that they were empty.

She wished she could've seen the expression on her own face, but it happened so fast that she sat there with her mouth hanging open for a good minute. He merely slanted an eyebrow at her and waited patiently for a response, as if daring her to say something.

Nyota wanted to ask him if it was logical for a Vulcan to perform magic, but then wondered if that would be offensive since he was half-human. She then completely disregarded that line of questioning, since this was Spock and knowing him, he probably had a perfectly logical reason. 'How on _earth_ did you do that?!'

He didn't answer at first, but leaned forward, stretched out his arm and tapped on the table with the ring in his hand. She could hear it against the surface, then, his elegant fingers lifted from the table. Then suddenly, having just pulled it from under the table, he presented the ring to her from his other hand.

She gasped and covered her mouth with her hands, 'Oh my _god_! That is _amazing_! Please show me how you did that! How do you know _magic_?' Nyota stared at his hand as he held the ring up to her. She quickly suppressed a shiver as she imagined those long, lean fingers against her naked skin, holding her, stroking her, fu--

'My mother's mother. She and her brother were professional magicians briefly when they were young. It was how she met my grandfather.' Spock's fingers grazed her palm as he placed it in her hand.

She slipped it back onto her thumb, shaking her head, 'Wow, Spock. I don't even know what to say.' She laughed, 'I guess this will be yet another thing I'll bug you to teach me. But I _do_ know that magicians are notoriously tight-lipped about sharing their secrets.'

Surely she wasn't misinterpreting the assessing gaze coming from him now. She shifted in her seat as a heated flush spread from her cheeks and neck to the rest of her body. Getting to know the intimate details about Spock's human side was revelatory and more than a little arousing. Nyota smiled slowly, meeting his challenge.

'I am amenable to you trying, Nyota.'

Mercifully, his eyes slid away as he began to quietly clean up the table. She stood and helped him place everything back into a very discreet black carryall he'd brought with him. Very discreet.

They walked in silence to the observation deck's doors. She wondered if she should kiss him before they parted company.

'I have thought about kissing you tonight.'

'What?' How did he have this preternatural ability to read her mind? Was she broadcasting her desire that heavily?

'Is that not customary in human courtship?'

'Well, yes, I guess. Though, I suppose it depends on what kind of person you are.' She stopped to look up at him. 'But you know, it's not necessary, since I don't want to get interrupted accidentally and I know we both want to keep this quiet.'

'I shall escort you back to your quarters.' He paused in the doorway to wait for her, looking back when she hesitated.

She took a deep breath, 'You know, you don't have to bother-'

'I understand. I _want_ to.'

'Dotting your i's, Mr. Spock?' She raised her eyebrows and gave him an amused look.

'Merely desiring to...respect the custom.'

'Ah.'

They walked down the deserted corridor and she questioned him more about his grandmother, learning how she'd picked up the craft as a young girl. As they rode down the turbolift, Nyota could hear the admiration for his grandmother in his voice as he told her of the time she'd performed an impromptu magic show for him at his first ever birthday celebration when he turned three. He had been _fascinated_.

She chuckled, 'And what did you think then of the birthday concept?'

'A perfectly logical reason to consume sweets.' He turned to her as they stopped in front of her quarters. The corners of his mouth were turned slightly up.

'Oh really, so do you remember what kind of cake you had?' she smirked up at him, knowing full well he did since he had an eidetic memory.

'Of course.' He clasped his hands behind him and looked up at the ceiling, recalling, 'It was yellow cake and decorated with shallops, pinques and barques.' He looked back down at her, 'They were sculpted from vanilla buttercream frosting,' he added, as if that was helpful.

'Scallops, pinks and barks?' She looked at him askance.

'_Shallops_,' he corrected her, 'ancient wooden vessels that sailed-'

'Ohhhh,' she laughed and gave his forearm a quick squeeze before dropping her hand, 'I wasn't following there for a minute.'

'Understandable.' He paused and gazed silently at her, his full attention now on her, but he had not made a move toward her.

'Well...would you like to come in for coffee?' She hid a wince when her voice broke off at the end of her question. She realized that a line like that would've been received very differently from a human male, but this was Spock. Though, she honestly couldn't say which way he would've interpreted that question.

'I must decline tonight, Nyota, since we must attend the briefing at 0700 tomorrow morning.'

'Of course!' Relief, tinged with embarrassment, flooded her, 'Thank you for such a great first date, Spock. And for sharing those tricks with me.' She frowned, 'I'm glad this wasn't such a big deal after all. It's hard dating on a starship and honestly, I don't know when we'll be able to get out again like we did tonight. For the sake of this trial period, just how are we going to get through thirty dates, when I know some couples who've never even gotten through two or three?'

Spock folded his arms, stroking his jaw thoughtfully, 'Yes, perhaps that is something we could determine as we moved forward. I shall meditate on this tonight.' He looked back at her, then his large hands reached for her shoulders, drawing her in slowly so that she was about four inches away.

Before he'd even touched her arms, she'd already closed her eyes, holding her breath as she waited for his kiss.

When his warm lips grazed hers, he murmured, 'Why do you hold your breath, Nyota?'

She sighed, then pressed her lips to his tentatively. Her hands crept up his arms, before she broke the kiss abruptly, 'Actually, I'm going to stop there since I feel like I'm _really_ tempting fate here.' She shot a look over his left shoulder down the hallway, half expecting McCoy to come out of his quarters and see them.

His eyes flicked beyond her as well, then he straightened back up, 'I understand, Nyota. I shall meditate on this as well.' He didn't elaborate on what _this_ was and nodded once at her, 'Good night,' waiting for her to enter her quarters.

Nyota smiled, flushing again after giving him one last lingering look before heading inside. When the doors closed, she heaved a sigh and slumped against the cool doors.

Spock had been right to end the date at the door, not only did they have that meeting but god only knew they hadn't even considered negotiating the sexual tension over the next _twenty-nine_ dates. At least, _she_ hadn't and she wasn't sure what he thought, but she knew for herself that getting through this without falling into bed with him would be a _great_ challenge.

Her mind flashed back to his hands and the way his fingers caressed her ring and the way they extended and moved and touched. Groaning, she got ready for bed quickly, fervently wishing she could confide in someone about this. But she couldn't just call up Charlene or Sulu or god forbid Christine or even Len.

Twenty-five minutes later, she was still turning it over in her mind, so she quickly sat up and spent another fifteen pouring her thoughts into her datapadd. She needed to keep _some_ kind of record about this whole experience with Spock.

Feeling much better now, she fell back into bed and consigned the rest of her desirous thoughts for that sexy Vulcan to the dreamworld. She slept soundly.

* * *

**A/N:** I learned a bit about magic for this chapter that I definitely want to explore in future stories. Please check out my wordpress homepage linked on my profile for the great pictures that go with this story! And don't forget to leave a comment! Thank you! :D


	3. The Wolf You Know

**Rating:** T (for subject matter)  
**Warnings:** Reference to attempted rape.  
**Summary:** Spock and Uhura have their first official fight and second official date.  
**A/N:** This was done for Ship Wars Prompt# 5 'Fairy Tales' over at LJ. My interpretation took me down an interesting path and while there are playful parts, there is a serious undercurrent here. Please be sure to check out my wordpress page for the links and pictures. References TOS episodes Spock's Brain, The Enemy Within, The Naked Time and the film The Company of Wolves.

* * *

A week passed before they could go on another date. But it had been one of _those_ weeks. A week where they literally went from one crazy situation to another. McCoy had even started performing rituals in his office in a ridiculous attempt to cast off their 'bad luck', especially after Spock's kidnapping by the Eymorgs of Sigma Draconis.

Their next assignment looked like another disaster in the making. The Enterprise was brokering a treaty between the Ueta and the Ufaya, two warring planets in the same solar system. They were being heavily courted to join the Federation and the brass at Starfleet were anxious that negotiations go smoothly.

But once her shift ended, Nyota had returned to her quarters, eager to shut out work demands if only for a few hours. She tried not to think of getting time off, since the prospect of shore leave was far away.

She sat at her computer, sipping hot tea, watching an interesting tale unfold on the screen called The Company of Wolves. Rand was working on her dissertation on the evolution of fairy tales. She'd focused on ancient European folklore and was researching the way stories changed in response to social anxieties.

Janice had needed a fresh pair of eyes, and after reading through her thesis, Nyota agreed to watch the old movie for the heck of it. She always loved a good scary story.

She was in the middle of a suspenseful sequence when an incoming call pinged for attention, the indicator flashing in the corner of the screen. She impatiently answered it, not bothering to pause the holo.

The screen divided to reveal Spock's placid face, 'Hello Nyota, I apologize for disturbing you.'

Her attention switched to his screen in surprise, 'Spock! I wasn't expecting a call. Did you need me for anything?'

'The ETA has moved up three hours. You need to report to the transporter room at 0500.'

Nyota groaned and covered her face with her hands, 'That means I've got to go to bed now-'

Suddenly, there was a blood curdling scream and Nyota sat up quickly, startled by its loudness. She locked eyes with Spock, who tilted his head in curiousity.

'May I inquire what that noise was?'

She laughed, 'Yeah, it's some poor soul getting mauled in a horror movie.'

'Ah, I understand. What is this horror movie about?'

'It's a version of an old folk tale called Little Red Riding Hood. Rand needed a new perspective and I told her I'd help her out.'

'I am familiar with this story. My mother read it to me as a child.'

'Yes, well...this movie isn't meant for children. This is about the sexual awakening of a young woman, whose grandmother has just given her an ominous warning about men whose eyebrows meet-'

'I assume you have noticed that mine do _not_.' He quirked an elegant eyebrow at her as if to prove his point, then watched her as she gasped with laughter.

'Thank you, Spock, I _have_ noticed, though I'm sure you're aware of the rumors floating around regarding your reputation.'

His eyebrows shot up, but he only gave her a mild look of reproach before replying simply, 'Good _night_, Nyota.'

* * *

The following morning arrived too quickly, but Nyota was soon busy working with her team on-site. A planet at the edge of the solar system had been designated as a neutral meeting place between the Ueta and Ufaya governments. Scotty and his people had set up the modular buildings for the diplomats to meet in two days ago.

It had been left up to her team to monitor the communications between all the represented factions, of which there were several. Since each government had experienced its own internal upheavals, they had decided to include those other interests at the negotiating table, in order to resolve the overall conflict.

The Uetan and Ufayan cultures had an oral history tradition similar to that of griots in Earth societies and it soon became clear to Nyota during the initial meeting that they were more interested in the Federation bearing witness to their resolution process than the crew actually getting involved with mediation.

Much to his chagrin, Kirk was selected as an official witness to the Ritual of Recognition and Resolution, so he'd sent most of the team back to the ship, but had also decided that he wanted some crew close by in case anything important came up.

Nyota sighed, 'So when the Captain said _some_ of us were to stay, he really meant _us_, didn't he? You recognize how illogical this is, right? I've got better things to do than hang out on a rock waiting for this to finish.'

'I believe you are familiar with the expression _misery loves company_, Nyota.'

They settled onto an uncomfortable bench outside the meeting chamber. Spock leaned back against the wall, folding his arms over his chest and crossing his long, lean legs at the ankles. 'You can tell me your thoughts of that holo. Were you able to finish it last night?'

'No, I was tempted to because it's such a compelling story, but I went to bed right after we talked.' She let her head rest against the wall, then looked over at him to study his profile, 'Come over tonight and we can watch it.' She grinned, 'We can make it a date. Gotta keep checking those off the list.'

Spock nodded, 'It would certainly qualify as an official date.'

'We could count _this_ as an official date.'

'Indeed? You are impatient.' But Spock looked somewhat pleased. 'Are you that eager for this phase of our relationship to be completed?' His head turned to her, his gaze unwavering.

She glanced at the floor, 'That depends on what comes after that.' Nyota sighed, 'You know, I don't know how you feel, but I'm going out on a limb here to say that I'm attracted to you. Obvious, I know, since we wouldn't be here if we weren't attracted to each other. But the prospect of dating you for _twenty-nine_ more dates is probably going to drive me crazy.'

Her stomach fluttered when she felt Spock lean close, his arm pressing against hers, to speak lowly in her ear, 'You wish to initiate a sexual relationship on the second date?'

His warm breath tickled her ear and she leaned away from him to look into his eyes, 'I'm _serious_, Spock. I won't lie and say that I've never slept with someone on the second...or first... date. I know this is supposed to be different, but given our history, this is honestly going to be hard for me.'

A warm feeling crept across her face as she realized her double entendre. She could've sworn that he was smirking back at her, but he broke eye contact and stared at the blank wall opposite them for a moment before responding.

'There should be a formal delineation between our dating and sexual phase since the evaluation criteria for both are somewhat different. It would skew the date data---'

'Date _data_? Okay, I'm not even going to _touch_ the fact that you'd have criteria for sexual compatibility, but Spock, do I _really_ want to know about this?'

He pursed his lips briefly, 'Perhaps you are correct. I would not want you to draw erroneous conclusions about my methods.'

She rolled her eyes in amusement before taking out her padd and jotting down some notes for additional research. She'd wanted to ask him about Vulcan dating customs as well as the role of men in a traditionally matriarchal society, but needed to do some reading beforehand.

Spock leaned over to look at her screen, curious, 'What are you doing?'

Nyota shielded the screen from him, 'Just giving myself a research reminder. Besides, you're not the only one doing the evaluating, Mr. Spock.' She ignored the heat from his thigh that was pressing against hers.

'Point noted.' He leaned back and folded his arms, returning his attention back to the blank wall.

'I've been keeping a journal since you kissed me on Christmas.' She watched him out of the corner of her eye.

He turned his head, 'You have?'

'I have. My notes got more detailed after the first date and I think I'm figuring out a point system for evaluation.' She raised her eyebrows nonchalantly, then smirked at him.

He resumed studying the opposite wall. '_My_ system of evaluation is rather complex.'

'Oh really?' She feigned disinterest.

'Under normal circumstances, I would share my methods with you, but since you are the study subject, I would not want you to feel like an experiment.'

She chuckled and looked over the top of her padd, 'Thanks Spock, you say the most _romantic_ things.' She patted his arm affectionately. 'It's okay though, everyone's got their own ways on making a decision.'

He looked surprisingly relieved, 'Thank you for understanding. I would not want to cause you offense--'

'It's okay, it really is.'

'--though I am sure you are curious as to which of your qualities I have identified for evaluation.'

Shaking her head, she laughed at him, 'You're so incorrigible. No, I'd rather not know. But I bet you're having fun with it. In fact, I bet you think you can solve love like an equation. You're probably losing sleep over whether or not you're weighting the correct data set, aren't you?'

She chuckled when Spock pointedly looked up at the ceiling, ignoring her playful jibe, which only confirmed her suspicions.

'Your sarcasm indicates overexposure to McCoy's influence. He has always resisted the suggestions I have made for an efficient Sickbay.'

Nyota stopped laughing, 'Oh _god_, he's been on a tear this week, hasn't he?'

'He is a man of science and yet his behavior--'

'So you heard about the things he and Scotty have been saying?'

'Yes, the Captain had to speak to him about Nurse Chapel. She did not appreciate the insinuation he made to her that women were the cause of the alleged bad luck. He rationalized the incident by saying he was merely referring to the ancient Terran superstition held by sailors of that time.'

Nyota rolled her eyes and put her face in her hands, embarrassed for her friend, '_What_ has gotten into him lately? You know, I think he's still upset that he couldn't remember how to put your brain back.'

'I concur. He has been _quite_ sensitive.' He looked down at her, studying the back of her graceful neck, 'Do you know that Scotty poured out a bottle of Saurian brandy in the engine room? It was to appease an Earth god.'

She gasped, 'Nooooo! Len got to him!' For Scotty to have parted with his beloved brandy showed her just how deeply affected some were about this past week, but it was a consequence of serving in deep space on a five year mission. Sometimes, things just got to you.

'It was to Manannan mac Lir, a sea deity of his land.' He canted his head at her, 'You are aware that what Rand is studying is occurring now.'

'What, that we're gossiping?'

'No, that in human communication, certain unconscious priorities manifest themselves. Scotty and Leonard have been very anxious about this week of alleged bad luck.'

Nyota got up to stretch her back, and Spock watched as the hem of her uniform skirt edged up, then down, her well formed thighs. He reminded himself that a premature sexual encounter could do irreparable harm to his long term goals.

'Yeah, that makes sense.' She yawned before continuing, unaware she was being observed, 'The fairy tales that Janice talks about can be really disturbing sometimes. The ones I grew up with were somewhat different.'

'The sheer variety of tales that humanity has produced is remarkable, especially how they explore the human psyche. Those tales tend to have fixed gender roles. In Little Red Riding Hood, the male is always cast as the dangerous seducer and the girl as innocence personified. Unlike on Vulcan, where we have parables emphasizing logic that Surak himself once told.'

'Nothing grim and bloody? No twisted tales of seduction and their horrifying consequences?' She grinned slyly at him.

'I am sure you will be quite _satisfied_ when your research leads you to the appropriate pre-Surakian materials. We are well aware of how humans derive salacious pleasure in perusing them, as if their existence are proof of our true natures.'

Spock stared at her innocently, with a small half-smile on his mouth and she slowly smiled back, 'I'll just have find out now, won't I? But don't worry, Spock. I'll try to not use ancient history against you.'

* * *

They continued their discussion for three more hours, exchanging stories they'd heard and read since they'd been children.

He'd surprised her, again, with his knowledge of human behavior. But what really fascinated Spock, and amused Nyota, was the new folklore that was being collected during the mission. Stories popped up very quickly surrounding the adventurous missions involving Kirk, McCoy and Spock and were re-told often by the crew.

Even when the facts of the mission were readily available, the stories got stretched into elaborate concoctions. Scotty, Sulu and Riley were very skilled at telling tall tales, not to mention prolific, causing Nyota to speculate that perhaps it was a male quality to see who could tell the most outrageous story. Spock was theorizing on what could be the female equivalent, when Nyota interrupted him.

'You know Spock, something you said earlier about Len got me thinking.'

'What was it?'

'What he said to Christine. Do you think it goes back to his divorce? Sometimes....I get the feeling that he gets very frustrated with women.'

'Has he said anything that upset you?'

'No, but....'

'Nyota, please tell me. I would like to help you with whatever he said that bothered you.'

'Actually, it was about you.'

Spock's eyebrows flew up, '_Me_?'

She shrugged, 'Yeah, you. Remember how things were weird after Alfa 177?'

'After the transporter malfunction with the captain?'

'Right, that-- and how we weren't hanging out like we used to?' Nyota looked away from him, down the drab, quiet hallway.

'You canceled your music lessons with me.' He studied her face, 'You said you were too busy.'

She sighed, 'Well, I wasn't. I was mad at you.' She looked down at her boots. She really needed to polish them.

'_Me_? For what reason?'

'It's all water under the bridge now.' She folded her arms, 'Just please don't say anything to Janice--'

A small note of frustration crept into his voice, 'Nyota, I do not understand--'

'That thing you said to Janice after the Captain was...put back together again.'

'What _thing_ was that?'

'Oh come _on_, Spock. I can't believe that _you_ of all people can't remember. It was _such_ an asshole-ish thing to say!'

Spock straightened up reflexively, 'May I remind you, _Lieutenant_, that I am _still_ your commanding officer? Furthermore-'

'Look, _Mister_ Spock. You're _lucky_ I didn't make this an issue back then. I don't even know why Janice _didn't_.'

Spock's face froze as if suddenly recalling what he'd said, '_The imposter had some interesting qualities wouldn't you say, Yeoman?_,' he repeated.

She gave him a pointed look, 'See? It's a shitty thing to say.'

'I was only pointing out--'

'What? The obvious? What for? After one of your crew was almost _raped_ by our captain, your best friend?'

'If you're implying that--'

'I'm not implying anything. What I'm _saying_ to you Spock, was that it was completely insensitive and uncalled for. Not to mention a nasty shock for Rand.'

'Why did she not speak to me on it? Why did she not report it?'

'To the captain? To you, the XO? Hell, even Janice was wondering if she'd imagined it because it was just so unlike you.' She stopped abruptly.

Spock stared at her, 'Continue.'

She shrugged again, 'She was upset, so she told me. Then _I_ was upset.'

'But....' Spock prompted her.

'But she's not anymore and I guess I still am.' She looked him dead in the eye, 'Did you really believe what you said?'

'That she found the impostor more interesting?'

'Among other things. Like, that maybe she wouldn't mind almost being raped by the man she had feelings for.'

'Is that what she thought I meant?'

'What else were you saying? And she said you gave her this smirk, which I feel bad about _still_, because at the time, I didn't believe her!'

'You should have come to me immediately.'

'I'm coming to you _now_, Spock. What did you mean when you said that to her?'

There was a long pause before he answered, 'There was no excuse. It was a lapse in logic. My only defense was that this was right after Psi 2000. My control....was not at optimum.'

Their eyes locked.

'Ok, fine. That explains how you lost your edit function, but even if you had better control, you'd still _think_ it, wouldn't you? Are you the type of guy who thinks a woman invites that? Just because Kirk knew of her feelings for him?'

'Of course not. Nyota, I can see from the change in your voice and posture that you are still upset. We can discuss this again when-'

Spock's patronizing tone ignited the anger she'd felt since his derisive comment, 'Oh give me a break!'

She leaned forward into his personal space, her index finger jabbing into the middle of his chest as she made each of her points, 'First of all, I'm a grown woman and I can handle a heated discussion. Second of all, you _still_ haven't answered my question. You need to give me a straight answer-'

He looked down at her, 'Are you giving me an _order_?'

'And you're surprised by that?'

'Uhmm, am I _interrupting_ anything?' Kirk's voice smoothly cut into the middle of their argument.

Nyota's eyes flew over to Kirk, standing some yards away down the hall, 'Captain!' She stood up.

Spock quickly followed suit, 'Captain!' He looked over at Nyota, 'We were just discussing... personnel issues.'

Kirk's hazel eyes flicked from one face to the other, 'Is that so? Well, _I'm_ going back to the ship. They're _finally_ taking a break for the day and I need to get the hell out of here before I go nuts.'

He walked back down the hallway, getting lost in the crowd of diplomats emerging from the meeting room.

Spock and Nyota looked at each other for a moment. They didn't say anything else, but knew that this was a conversation they'd be continuing.

* * *

A few hours after they'd returned, Nyota's nap was interrupted by her door chime. She sighed and went over to the entryway, knowing exactly who was there.

Spock stood there silently looking at her after the doors slid open. He hesitated, 'I was not sure if you wished to meet tonight.'

She smiled tiredly up at him, 'You were worried I wanted to stop?' She beckoned him in, 'Well, I'm glad you're not afraid of a fight.' Nyota walked over to the replicator to make some hot tea.

He stood in the middle of her quarters, hands clasped behind his back, 'I know you did not want me to say anything to Yeoman Rand--'

'Spock!' She stopped when Spock shook his head, then waited for him to continue.

'I could not in good conscience let what you said go unaddressed. I sent communication letting Rand know that I was recently made aware of my transgression against her. I did not say how, but I suspect she will deduce who told me.'

Nyota sighed and went back to making their tea, 'Thanks for the heads up.'

'I have offered her the services of a mediator if she wishes to re-visit the incident. I have also informed her that she is entitled to file a complaint, in addition to assault charges against the captain if she sees fit to do so.'

'Oh?'

'Yes.' Spock sat down on the edge of her very small couch. 'I have apologized for making the remark and for not being supportive after her assault. As her XO, I should have counseled her on her options had she wished to file charges. By not doing so, it has given the appearance of complicity on my part. However, I have arranged to attend re-training on these matters.'

'Oh.' She stirred her cup of tea faster. 'I don't know what to say.'

She brought their tea over and set it on the low table in front of him. 'I've queued up the holo.' Nyota sat down next to him, examining his profile as he sipped from his cup, 'What do you think Rand will do?' She knew that it could hurt his career if he were officially reprimanded.

Spock looked at her, 'Actually, we have already spoken at length about the situation.'

She raised her eyebrows in surprise, 'What did she finally decide?'

'That my reputation for being, and I quote 'an intimidating asshole' unquote, was resolving itself in her mind, but that she would also like Kirk to attend the re-training.' Spock paused, then added, 'As will Dr. McCoy.'

At that, Nyota couldn't help but chuckle, 'Misery loves company, doesn't it?'

He gave her a small smile, his body relaxing slightly, 'Yes, it does.'

* * *

When the holo ended, Nyota asked him if he could see himself in the role of the wolf, but Spock merely shook his head. He countered by asking her if she could see herself as the young woman and whether she would have made the same choice in the end, to join the wolf.

'Not literally, but I can certainly empathize with the conflicted feelings she had for him.' Silently, she wondered how he could come from a matriarchal society and yet still have a sexist streak in him. She shook her head slightly, needing to know if this was going to be a problem with him.

'Nyota,' He waited for her to face him before continuing, 'Would you please tell me when I make a mistake like that again?'

She nodded, her eyes shifting back to the tea cup in her hands. She looked up, startled when his hand lightly touched her forearm, drawing her attention back up to him.

'Our ranks as commander and lieutenant do not matter. In the end, it is just us, as Spock and Nyota, and I need to know that you can still trust me.'

She drew a deep breath, then nodded slowly. He had never really answered her initial question about Rand. Nyota supposed that he had given her one by finally addressing the problem, but it would be something she'd always keep in the back of her mind.

They finished the rest of their tea in a companionable silence though. When Spock finally bid her goodnight, he leaned down for a goodnight kiss that made Nyota realize her attraction to him had not weakened, despite their previous argument. She closed her eyes when his lips touched hers.

Spock deepened their kiss, his large hands traveling down her arms, before slipping to her hips and pulling her close. She moaned when his tongue gently slid into her mouth. Desire, deep within, aroused her in a way that the kiss of their first date did not. They were safe in the confines of her rooms now. No one would see.

When he pulled back from their kiss, she swore that, for a moment, Spock was re-considering their dating contract. But then, the fires banked in his black eyes and Spock informed her, in his rather maddening way, that she should focus her energy into something constructive, like making a journal entry.

After Spock left, she went to her bureau and pulled out the red bag from the back of the drawer. Spock seemed frustratingly immune to the effects of their courtship, but she was not. She sighed, resigned to a solitary outlet of sexual release- for now.

* * *

**A/N:** You can find a link to the scene in question from The Enemy Within at my wordpress page. ETA 03/16: I just realized from comments over at my wordpress page that Kirk and Spock had withheld the fact that Kirk's 'imposter' was really Kirk himself. So--how did Nyota know what had really happened? Well, I guess I'll just have to address that in the next update! lol Thank you!


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